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Straight and narrow: how pop lost its gay edge

From the blues to the Beatles, from the Who to Nirvana, the biggest acts in pop have been hugely shaped by gay culture. Why has that spirit now disappeared?Nicky Wire laughs. "I'm not sure where we got the slogan from," he says, of the T-shirt the Manic Street Preachers produced in 1993 bearing the striking legend: "All rock'n'roll is homosexual." Wire, the band's bass-player and lyricist, goes on. "I'm sure it's slightly nicked. I remember Richey [Edwards, the band's late guitarist] talking ab...